Life Plans of Central Asian Migrants in Russia: Narratives and Practices

Abstract

The article looks at the everyday life of Central Asian labor migrants in Russia through the prism of their own conception and realization of life plans. I attempt to examine the part that the migrant strategies per se play in shaping the life ways of these migrants. One of the key goals of this research was to hear the voice of the migrants and understand their own interpretation of experiences and expectations emerging from the migrant way of life. Migrants are considered from a broader perspective as members of transnational social networks intersecting with local and family ties. The research is drawn on the outcome of the three-year-long comparative study conducted both in Central Asia and Russia. By looking at various factors, such as age, gender, and family status, in the context of current migration policies and economic situation, I tentatively delineate four principal strategies employed by the migrants in shaping their life ways, corresponding to the four basic life scenarios: “single man”, “family man”, “married couple”, and “single woman (with children)”.